BOZ BUZZ eNewsletter

Both Morning and Night,
New BOZ Books a Delight!

Throughout the Day, Preschoolers
Will Love BOZ’s Two New Stories

Every family has their own unique bedtime rituals. And every family has their start-of-the-day routine as well.

Now, preschoolers can see what BOZ, The Green Bear Next Door™, does when he wakes up in the morning and what he does before he goes to bed.

What’s New Online?
The countdown has begun!

The home page of BozTheBear.com is counting down the days until the release of the new BOZ DVD: Thank You God For…Bananas, Bubbles and
Busy Bodies.

Saturday, August 26 is the big day. That’s when the countdown clock hits ZERO as the third DVD in the BOZ preschool series will be available at Christian stores and online.

While you and your preschooler patiently wait for August 26, remember that you can get a taste of the new DVD in a couple of different places here at BozTheBear.com.

“Veggies Make Me Big and Strong” is a brand new song from the soon-to-be released DVD. Click here to see and hear this fun song. Don’t be surprised if your child soon will be singing this joyful song about healthy food!

There’s also a great new activity page that you can download and print for your child to draw and color with BOZ. Your child can create their own “double peppy pizza” just like BOZ, Drew, and Gracie make in the new DVD.

As you look around the web, you’ll realize there’s always something fun for you and your preschooler at BozTheBear.com.

Good Morning BOZ and Good Night BOZ are two new additions to the BOZ series of preschool books from Exclaim Entertainment. Published by Zonderkidz, these two new rhyming adventures join with God Loves Your Nose and God Gives You Friends.

As the titles of the newest books indicate, you and your preschooler will discover what BOZ and his friends Drew and Gracie do in the mornings as a new day starts and what they do at night as the day ends.

And your preschooler will soon discover that BOZ and his friends have lots of fun getting up and going to bed! When you read your child these books, they’ll be laughing as they learn that Drew and Gracie are much faster at brushing hair than BOZ is brushing all that fur!

You child will also find out that BOZ and the twins know the importance of brushing their teeth in the morning and at night. They also spend time washing up in the morning and taking a bath or shower at night. (Sounds like lessons you’re already sharing at your home … it’s nice to have a green bear’s support, isn’t it?)

Best of all, you’ll be able to get some quality snuggle time with your child as you read Good Morning BOZ and Good Night BOZ with them. Reading books are a fun part of BOZ’s daily routine:

BOZ loves books that make him giggle.
Then his tummy starts to wiggle.

The two newest BOZ books are now available at your favorite Christian store, or through the BOZ Shop online. Good Morning BOZ and Good Night BOZ are sure to become favorites of your preschoolers … anytime of day!

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Friends and Mentors

I don't know of anything in life more consuming than being a mommy. No matter how wonderful the experience of motherhood, no one would argue that it can leave a mom's life a little out of balance.

Friends, perhaps more than anyone else, have a way of balancing the scales by providing the opportunity for a little bit of life without (or with) your child.

How do you maintain friendships during this busy season of parenting?

Play groups (you can visit while your child plays)
Coffee dates
Talk on the phone
Dinner groups (with those that have kids)

In addition, a real life mentor, one who serves as a model and provides individualized help and encouragement, can be very empowering to any mom!

Just what can a mentor do for you? Plenty. Mentors can …

Help moms navigate through the turbulent sea of parenting, by giving them a map and sound advice.
Model various aspects of how a new mom can interact more effectively with her child.
Direct new moms to helpful resources such as books and seminars.
Keep you accountable to meet your goals as a woman, parent and leader.

Adapted from If You Ever Needed Friends It's Now by Leslie Parrott.

For more information on how to find a mentor or MOPS group in your area, visit the MOPS International website.

Making a Difference

Children act childishly. That childishness can often result in parent-child conflict. Yet during conflict, you can preserve the joy in your relationship with your child by remembering these two practical principles:

Leave the childishness to the children
Parents can be drawn in to acting much like their children. They can name-call, get frustrated, and, yes, even throw tantrums. Don't allow this to happen to you. Regardless of the situation, always remain the adult. (see 1 Corinthians 13:11) You'll be amazed at how this can diffuse the conflict.

Don't force an issue to immediate resolution
We can sometimes expect too much skill from our children in the area of conflict resolution. But sometimes, we can also expect too much from ourselves. If you're getting overly frustrated or angry, have the courage to step away from the situation and revisit it later. Delaying the resolution is a far better choice than forcing the issue in anger.

We need to acknowledge and embrace the difference between parents and children. Give your children the grace to be childish. And as adults, we need to act the part. God will give you the power and the grace to succeed — for your sake and your child's.

Check out next month's BOZ Buzz for another great FamilyLife parenting tip. For more parenting insights, go to FamilyLife’s website.